FCC Proposes Spectrum Auction

The FCC's National Broadband Plan for sharply increasing broadband access in the U.S. includes an auction that will allow TV broadcasters and other licensees to voluntarily sell their spectrum, reports TV NewsCheck. Roughly 90% of Americans receive their broadcast TV programming in most major markets through cable wires or satellite signals, but there are still millions of Americans who receive TV through over-the-air antenna TV, according to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. Broadcasters, led by the NAB and the Association of Maximum Service Television, have rejected the idea, arguing that selling spectrum would amount to selling their digital futures.